The 2008 National Under 20's competition will be known as the Toyota Cup, after Toyota came on as the official car company of National Rugby League.
The Toyota Cup is
being heralded as a magnet for the country’s best junior sporting
talent with every NRL team showcasing its best young players each week
through the competition.
While the draw will
mirror that of the Telstra Premiership, the Toyota Cup teams will
operate separately as a semi professional competition.
Toyota Cup squads
will be required to schedule training sessions that promote off field
education and traineeships, with plans to exclude any team training
during business hours on three working days of each week.
Clubs will be
encouraged to tailor training sessions around off field education
programmes and to ensure all athletes are engaged in either these or
work placement programmes.
All players will
attend specific Under 20s induction programmes that will outline the
opportunities and responsibilities of a semi-professional sporting
environment.
A percentage of the competition’s salary cap will be dedicated to education funding.
Former International
Michael Buettner, the NRL’s current Game Liaison Manager, will move
into the role of competition manager and says the focus will be on
preparing footballers for every aspect of their career.
“From the moment a
player makes it into the Toyota Cup the message will be loud and clear
that the first step will be to start building for life after football.
“Most guys at the
elite junior level don’t make it to the Telstra Premiership and we want
to make sure that seeing them making the most of their sporting talents
doesn’t cost them career opportunities they may have otherwise had.
“We also find that
the guys that do make it through are better focused through their
football careers if they have a sense of where they are going after
football.
What each individual player decides to do is up to them, but the NRL and Toyotaare helping to pave the way. If players wish to pursue academic careers
then there will be a $10 000 a year payment to help them with their
tuition.
“That money can be
used by the individual to go towards course fees, learning materials or
a laptop, depending on what the individual needs. This is all about not
following the dream without following the future,” said Buettner.
The Toyota Cup will
act as a major stepping stone to first grade stardom and Buettner feels
that they have hit the right demographic for this competition.
“There is a fair
chance that plenty of players will use it as a stepping stone to first
grade. I went through the Media Guide and found that over 70% of the
top 25 at each club made their first grade debut at 21 or earlier.”
“That is an
incredible statistic in itself, and indicates that the Under 20 age
group we are targeting is the correct one. We may even see more
youngsters making it to first grade earlier. It is an exciting concept.”
One of the staunchest
supporters of the competition and chairman of the Under 20s planning
committee, Parramatta Chief Executive, Mr Denis Fitzgerald, said the
Toyota Cup was a crucial part of the game’s future.
“No other code can
offer an opportunity like this and it will attract not only the best
athletes in our game but will also give plenty of others an incentive
to look at Rugby League as well.
Past Winners:
2008 - Canberra
2009 - Melbourne
2010 - NZ Warriors
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